UFC's Most Overrated Fighter in Every Division

UFC Men's Flyweight - No. 10 - Tim Elliott

For starters, Elliott is 38 and pretty inactive at this stage of his career. He last fought in December 2023 when he defeated Sumudaerji via first-round submission. However, Elliott hasn’t won a fight over an opponent who is currently ranked in three years, and he doesn’t have a fight scheduled.

At this point, he’s seemingly holding a ranked spot, waiting to be challenged by an up-and-comer who will either beat him and replace him in the rankings or lose and be sent to the back of the line.

UFC Men's Bantamweight - No. 8 - Song Yadong

Song is still just 27, but at this point, he has proven to be more hype than substance. In his career, he has just one win over a fighter who is currently ranked in the Top 15, and that’s a unanimous decision win over Marlon Vera in May 2020. 

Song’s record is 21-8, and when he’s faced other currently ranked fighters like Kyler Phillips, Cory Sandhagen, and Petr Yan, he’s lost. I’m not saying he shouldn’t be ranked, but should he be ahead of Mario Bautista, Jose Aldo, and Rob Font?

UFC Featherweight - No. 3 - Diego Lopes

Hear me out. I know Lopes is one of the hottest fighters in the sport. The 30-year-old is on a five-fight win streak, but there is one serious question to ask and answer: who has he beat? Lopes has just two wins over a fighter currently ranked in the Top 15.

The first was a win over No. 14 Dan Ige, who took the fight on less than a day’s notice as he filled in for Brian Ortega at UFC 303. The second was a win over Ortega, who is, at best, done seriously competing as a featherweight and, at worst, well past his prime thanks to the wars he’s been in and the injuries he’s sustained.

Even more, Lopes lost to the undefeated Movsar Evloev in May 2023—who just beat Aljamain Sterling—yet Lopes is still one slot higher than Evloev in the rankings.

UFC Lightweight - No. 7 - Michael Chandler

Chandler is, quite honestly, the inspiration for this entire article. The veteran and former Bellator champion is sitting at No. 7 in the 155-pound rankings despite sporting a 2-4 record in the UFC since coming over from Bellator. One of those wins came over Tony Ferguson, who is in the midst of a record-breaking eight-fight losing streak.

Chandler is an exciting fighter with real punching power, and he is always in insane condition, but at the bottom line, he doesn’t win, and that makes his current ranking tough to understand.

UFC Welterweight - No. 14 - Vicente Luque

The welterweight division is strong, so this is one of the weaker cases. Luque is ranked No. 14, but he does not own a victory over anyone in the Top 15 besides champion Belal Muhammad, and that win happened in 2016—and it was avenged in 2022. I’m expecting Gabriel Bonfim to replace Luque at some point in 2025.

UFC Middleweight - No. 11 - Paulo Costa

Costa looks like a world champion, but he has probably been less successful in the UFC than you think. He has lost four of his last five fights and has a very average 6-4 record with the promotion. When you consider Costa’s only wins came over Garreth McLellan, Oluwale Bamgbose, Johny Hendricks (fighting above his best weight class), Uriah Hall, and Yoel Romero, it makes you wonder if he is still worthy of a Top-15 spot.

UFC Light Heavyweight - No. 14 - Anthony Smith

Smith is 36, and he’s 37-21. He’s already announced his next fight will be his last, and that’s as much about the unfortunate personal tragedy he’s had to deal with—the loss of his best friend and coach—as it should be about wear and tear.

Smith hasn’t scored a noteworthy win over a tough opponent. The only men Smith has beaten since 2020 are Vitor Petrino, Ryan Spann (twice), Devin Clark, and Jimmy Crute.

UFC Heavyweight - No. 14 - Don'Tale Mayes

After a major shake-up in the division, which resulted in the UFC cutting multiple ranked fighters, a few veterans were bumped up into the rankings. Mayes was one of them. Mayes has alternated wins and losses in his last five fights, but the victories have come over Caio Machado and Andrei Arlovski—both of whom have been released in the past six months.

You could make the argument Kennedy Nzechukwu is more deserving.

UFC Women’s Strawweight - No Complaints

The division isn’t especially deep, and everyone who is ranked is where they are for a reason.

UFC Women’s Flyweight - No. 14 - Casey O’Neill

Like in the UFC’s heavyweight division, there has been some turnover due to releases. O’Neill was the beneficiary of a recent shake-up. However, her last win over Luana Santos snapped a two-fight losing streak. Luana Carolina has a case to be made for a spot over O’Neill.

UFC Women’s Bantamweight - No. 11 - Miesha Tate

Tate is a legend, but is she still one of the 15 best bantamweights in the UFC? The 38-year-old hasn’t fought since December 2023, when she submitted Julia Avila. Tate has only fought four times in the last eight-plus years.

Ranked is one thing; ranked No. 11 seems crazy for that level of inactivity. Melissa Gatto and Melissa Mullins are both more deserving of a spot in the rankings.